Portable car washer



Nov. 12, 1968 R. .1. SLAMA PORTABLE CAR WASHER Filed May 29, 1967INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY States Patent Office 3,409,924 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 3,409,924PORTABLE CAR WASHER Russell J. Slama, 27037 Vance, Madison Heights,Mich. 48071 Filed May 29, 1967, Ser. No. 642,040 7 Claims. (Cl. 1524)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application discloses a power drivenrotary brush mounted in a handle with water and detergent, or soap,inlet means and means to discharge the water, with or without the soap,onto the brush.

be employed commercially in the Do-It-Yourself type I of car washemporiums, or it may be used with equal facility by the car owner, on orabout his private domain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated in which the brush is rotated by means of an electric motorbuilt into the handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing device of thecharacter indicated which is provided with a soap or detergent mediasupply with means to control its dispensation during the washing andrinsing of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated with a rotary brush which may be driven by means of thevehicle 12 v. battery or may be connected to a domestic 110 v. powersupply.

Another object of the invention is to generally improve car washingdevices and to provide a device which is simple in construction andeconomical to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter indicated which is constructed with water intake and exhaustoutlets and with electrical means for rotating the brush and commonmeans for controlling the water supply and electrical power supply.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being madefrom time to time to the accompanying drawing, forming part of thewithin disclosure, in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through a device embodying theinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a modified form of brush andbrush support.

FIG. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3-3* of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be understood inthe embodiment herein disclosed the reference character 7 indicates, ingeneral, the housing of the device, which housing may be made of aplastic or rubber composition. The housing 7 is divided into twocompartments 8 and 9, the compartment 8 being the water compartment andthe compartment 9 being the motor compartment. The lower wall of thecompartment 9 has an opening 10- therein, which is covered by means of aclose plate 11, which is held in position by means of screws 12, orother suitable means.

The outer surface closure member 11 is undulated, which undulationsserve as finger grips for the device when in use. The closure member 11is provided with an inwardly directed boss 13, which serves as a supportfor the motor 14, which rotates the brush 15, as hereinafter described.

The spindle 16 of the brush 15 is connected to the motor 14 by means ofa fitting 17, which is provided with set screws 18. The core of thebrush 15 is held on the spindle 16 by means of a wing nut 16C.

The spindle 16 rotates in a tubular member 19 and a bearing member 20which is supported by an end wall of the housing 7.

The motor 14 and the connection 17 are serviced through the opening 10when the closure member 11 is removed.

The compartment 8 terminates at the leading end in a fitting 21 to whichmay be secured the fitting 22 of a conventional garden hose. Theopposite end 23 of the compartment 8 has a discharge opening thereinthrough which water is discharged onto the brush 15. The dis chargeopening is angularly positioned so that water may be deposited over alarge area of the brush.

The upper wall of the compartment 8 is provided with a series ofopenings 24 through which soap or a detergent may be introduced into thecompartment 8 from a receptacle 25, the neck 26 of which threadedlyengages a threaded collar 27, formed as part of the wall of thecompartment 8. The neck 26 of the receptacle 25 has a perforatedclosure, the perforations of which aline with the openings 24 upon therotation of the receptacle 25. In this manner the introduction of soapor detergent into the water stream is controlled.

The end 28 of the housing 9 has an opening therein in which is fitted arubber grommet 29, through which is extended the electrical wires 30,which provide the electrical energy for the motor. The wires 30 may beconnected to the battery of the motor vehicle through the conventionalcigar lighter element, or may be connected to a volt domestic powerline. If the battery electrical source is employed the motor 14 would bea DC motor, and if the 110 volt domestic power line is used the motor14, of course, would have to be an AC motor.

In order to control the electrical input to the motor 14, I provided aswitch 31 which is normally open.

In order to control the flow of water through the compartment 8, Iprovide a butterfly type valve 32, which is rotatable with the lateralextension 33 of a rod 34 which is pivoted for rotation in the wall ofthe housing 7. The rod 34 has an upper lateral extension 35 (FIG. 3),which is carried by perforated ears 36, depending from a control level37.

The rear end of the lever 37 is secured to the transverse portion 38(FIG. 4) of a rod element which is pivoted in cars 39, integrally formedwith the housing 7.

The rod 38 has a depending U-shaped yoke portion 40, the bottom of whichis arranged to contact the switch lever 41 in order to actuate theswitch 31.

The lever 37 is spring backed as at 42, so that it is always in elevatedposition, as shown in FIG. 1, unless pressure is exerted upon it by thehand of the operator when the device is in use. When the lever 37 is inthe position shown in FIG. 1, the valve 32 will be closed and the flowof the water through the compartment 8 will be shut off.

By the same token, the yoke portion 40 of the rod will be moved to theleft (FIG. 1) to open the switch 31, so that there is no electricalenergy to the motor 14.

When the device is gripped in the hand of the operator the palm of thehand will rest on the lever 37 and the fingers will grip the undulatingportion 11 of the device, and by squeezing the hand the lever 37 will beactuated to open the valve 32 and close the switch 31, to admit anddischarge water to the brush and start the rotation of the motor 14 andthe brush 15.

Soap or detergent is introduced into the water flow by rotating thereceptacle 25. After the vehicle is washed with soap or detergent sudsthe vehicle may be rinsed by cutting ofl? the supply of soap ordetergent. When pressure is released on the lever 37 the flow of waterand the rotation of the motor 14 is terminated. If the water supply iscut off ahead of the valve 32 the motor and brush may be used forbufiing the vehicle.

In FIG. 2, I show a modified form of brush for use with the device. Inthis modification the bristles 15A of the brush are preferably made ofplastic and are twisted into the spindle 16A. In this embodiment thespindle 16A is supported primarily by the tubular ele ment 19A.

It is believed that the operation of the device is obvious from theforegoing description.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A car washing device comprising a housing, a brush rotatablysupported by said housing, a water compartment in said housing having adischarge opening at one end adjacent said brush and an intake openingat the opposite end, a water supply in communication with said lastopening, a soap supply communicating with said water compartment, amotor in said housing for rotating said brush, a power supply connectedto said motor, and common control means for regulating said water supplyand said power supply.

2. The structure of claim 1, which said control means includes a springbiased lever which actuates a valve in said water compartment andactuates a switch in an electric circuit to said motor.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which said common control means includesa spring biased lever mounted on top of said housing with linkageconnected to a water valve in said housing, and linkage positioned toactuate a switch in an electric circuit connected to said motor, saidlever being arranged to open said water valve and close said switch whensaid lever is depressed against said spring.

4. The structure of claim 3, in which said housing has a finger gripsection on the side opposite said lever and is arranged, so that whenhand pressure is exerted between said finger grip and said lever, saidwater valve is opened and said switch is closed.

5. The structure of claim 1, in which said housing is provided with acompartment for housing said motor, the wall of said motor compartmenthaving an opening which is covered with a closure member having anundulating outer surface, which serves as a finger grip.

6. The structure of claim 1, in which said water discharge opening isangularly arranged whereby to discharge water over a substantial portionof said brush.

7. The structure of claim 1, in which said brush is provided with anelongated spindle, which is supported in part for rotation by a tubularmember positioned within the said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,604,500 10/1926 Tannenb-aum15-29 1,611,874 12/1926 Becker 15--24 2,198,322 4/ 1940 Schrader 15--50X 3,366,288 1/1968 Goldschein 15-50 X EDWARD L. ROBERTS, PrimaryExaminer.

